


Broken Pieces

by supernerd18



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Crying, Hugging, Hurt, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 13:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11806800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernerd18/pseuds/supernerd18
Summary: How do you like your coffee? Soft and full of angst? Me too.I’m calling these Pic Fics from now on. Takes place after the S3 episode The Hunted.I am for the head cannon that Shiro is related to Keith. Here, he is Keith’s uncle.





	Broken Pieces

[Art Piece](http://sleepy-moans.tumblr.com/post/164013371084) (linked bellow)

* * *

 

After the paladins returned to the castle, everyone went their separate ways and took some time to relax and recuperate. That goes to say, everyone except Keith. Lance noticed the red paladin hadn’t joined the others in exiting the hanger after they’d changed. He slowed his pace and let Hunk, Pidge and Allura fall forward as he fell back. Once they were out of earshot, he went back to the hanger to look for Keith.

The blue paladin found him sitting hunched over on a ledge that extended from the wall. He walked over to him with caution, and a drooping expression of worry. “What’s on your mind, Keith?”

He let out a hard sigh before he replied. “I just… I really messed up back there. I’m… I’m not a good leader, and you know it.”

Lance tipped his head to the side in sympathy, then slowly walked over to Keith and sat down. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re still new to this whole “leader” thing.” he gestured with air quotes. “I’m sure being a leader will come naturally in time.”

Keith huffed and hung his head lower. “You don’t get it, Lance.” he spat. Lance whipped his gaze over to him. “I don’t _want_ to be the leader. The Black Lion _chose_ me to lead, and… I don’t understand why. I struggle to think straight and come up with a plan in the heat of the moment, and that slows everyone down. I feel like I’m just a replacement for Shiro. He’s a much greater leader than I, and _everyone_ knows it.” His voice began to shake as he came to an end.

Lance firmly placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Keith to turn his attention to him in surprise. “Stop right there.” He articulated each word. “You are _not_ Shiro’s replacement, never think that.” Keith froze and stared at Lance. He then flipped the script onto himself. “I understand the feeling… I used to think the same thing about piloting the Red Lion.” Keith straightened up at that. “I was so sure I was your replacement. I could hardly steer her in the right direction at first…”

“Lance, you’re _not_ my replacement.” Keith cut in, locking his gaze onto Lance’s. “She called to you, remember? The Red Lion _chose_ you to be…her…paladin.” Keith slowed in realization. He’d practically reiterated what he’d said earlier.

When he looked back at Lance, he was met with a warm smile. “You’re right.”

Keith tried to grin back at him, but the corners of his mouth were heavy.

“If Shiro were here, he’d be so proud of you, Keith.” Lance added, pausing to let the words sink in. “Sure, you struggled to come up with an effective plan, but like I said, you’re still new to this. We all know you’re doing your best out there.” he reassured him with another smile. “And you know we all have your back. You’re not alone, Keith.”

Lance noticed Keith’s eyes glistening with upcoming tears as he looked up at him. Keith sat silent for a moment before he spoke again, his voice quivering uncontrollably now. “I know… But I became so used to being alone…that now I don’t know how to… I…” He bit his lip and shut his eyes tight before he went on, his eyes squinted and his gaze jolting around the room. “Shiro was the only person I could ever count on to be there… He’s the only piece I have left of my broken family…”

Lance spoke without thinking. “Is he your dad?!” he hiccupped.

“No…” Keith mumbled. “He’s my uncle. My dad’s brother.”

“Oh, wow.” Lance awed briefly. He then saw Keith’s wrinkled expression and ushered him to continue and let it all out, apologizing for the interruption.

“They… They took him _away_ from me, Lance. Those _damned_ aliens took him away.” he growled through his teeth, his voice growing weaker with every word. “They took him from Earth…and now they took him from Voltron…”

Lance scooped him up into a tight embrace. “I know the feeling, Keith. I know how heart wrenching it is to be separated from the people closest to you… But you’re not alone. You can count on us to be there for you.”

A tear streamed down Keith’s cheek at Lance’s next words. “You can count on _me_ to be there. I’ll never abandon you, Keith. Not if I can help it.”

Keith’s lips quivered as he grabbed the back of Lance’s jacket and sobbed on his shoulder. “I just miss him so much…” he choked out. He felt a sorrowful longing for Shiro, but he was grateful to have Lance to hold on to. His world was utterly falling apart. But he was glad Lance caught some of the falling pieces. “Thank you, Lance.” he mumbled into the hood of his jacket.

Lance smiled to himself and held him closer, nuzzling his head against Keith’s. “Just let it _all_ out, man.” And Keith did. He cried until he was spent, and afterwards felt a whole lot better; like a weight had been lifted from him. He was slightly embarrassed to have bawled like that in front of Lance of all people, but grateful nonetheless.

“C’mon. You need some rest.”

Lance walked with Keith back to his room in a comfortable silence. Normally, the red paladin would’ve asked to be left alone when he was brooding with emotion, but this time, Lance provided him with an uplifting atmosphere just by being next to him.

Once they made it to their bedroom hallway, Keith stopped by the bathroom and washed up as Lance went to hang his jacket up in his room. He then waited by Keith’s door with his hands in his pockets until he came around. Lance gave him a smile, but Keith had his head down as he walked past him and into his room. He hung his jacket up and kicked his shoes off with lazy motions.

Lance raised a brow at his actions. He really thought he had helped the red paladin cheer up some, but maybe it wasn’t enough. “Hey,” he began gently. Keith stood still after Lance addressed him. “You going to be alright?”

Keith looked over his shoulder as he replied. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks.” He crossed his arms and stood with his back to Lance.

Maybe Keith would “be fine” later, but Lance was intuitive and could easily tell he wasn’t fine right now. There was something he wanted to say, but Lance wasn’t going to press him to say it. However, he wanted to add one more thing.

Lance approached Keith with light feet and stepped around to face him, then took him by the shoulders. Keith raised a brow and put on a hesitant expression, but quickly dropped the act and loosened up, falling into Lance and gripping the back of his shirt tightly like he had before. Lance wrapped one hand around Keith and caressed his hair with the other.

Keith didn’t know and didn’t care to place why being close to Lance was a sudden necessity. He suddenly despised going to bed, knowing the cold, thin sheets wouldn’t provide him with enough warmth. Being in Lance’s arms almost made him weak, he was so warm and relaxed. Drowsiness overcame him as he mumbled, “Stay with me, Lance…”

Lance briefly blinked in surprise before he softened and smiled to himself again. “Sure thing, buddy.” he said in a hush tone into Keith’s hair. “And for the record, [you’re a _great_ leader](http://sleepy-moans.tumblr.com/post/164013371084).”

Keith leaned back in his arms and looked at Lance with hopeful eyes watering up with tears of thanks. Lance brought his hands to the red paladin’s shoulders as he added, “Don’t _ever_ think anything less, Keith.”

Keith stared into Lance’s eyes full of genuine care as his welled up with tears more and more. He was so thankful Lance had come back to the hanger to look for him, and that he was his shoulder to cry on; so thankful that he’d agreed to stay the night. Without a second thought, Keith leaned in and pressed his lips to Lance’s.

Somewhere deep down, Lance was startled by the sudden kiss, and even more so since Keith instigated it. But he wasn’t going to make a scene. He knew Keith was fragile as ever right now, and he didn’t want him to shatter. He too was thankful; thankful that Keith had let him in, and he let him know as he returned the kiss.

Something pinched at their chests, but it wasn’t painful. Their lips softened and glided effortlessly over one another.

The warmth of their bodies helped them relax further into each other, and they soon painted a masterpiece of “thank you so much,” their lips and hands the brushes.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are noticed and appreciated._

[Ko-fi](http://ko-fi.com/lizzywrites)

 


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